Chapter Text
Ever since he was a child, he was always accompanied by a dream.
The first time he had one, he was four years old. It was after his father told him a story about a princess, a warrior, and fairies. He was so excited! He wanted to protect his family from any harm, so he resolved to become a warrior.
He dreamed that night that he was with someone his own age, dancing in the woods. It was a familiar place, the woods near his home. They danced joyfully while birds accompanied them and animals drew closer. He couldn't see the person's face and didn't understand what was happening, but he realized they were singing:
"I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream."
For some reason, he felt happy singing and dancing with this stranger. Until something woke him up. The smell of burning.
Lilia again with his kitchen inventions. Silver woke up and ran over only to find Malleus standing there saying he wasn't hungry and trying to get his father out of the kitchen. Silver seized the opportunity, grabbed his wooden sword, and ran into the woods.
He loved the tranquility that enveloped him, along with the sun and the birdsong. The dream had left him with a feeling of warmth. But dancing? He never danced. And more importantly, who was that person? He didn't dwell on it and began practicing his steps until Lilia called him. Malleus had failed in his attempt to distract him.
At dinner, Silver told him about his dream.
"After the story you read me, I dream I was in the woods. I was with a stranger, dancing and singing."
"Oh? Silver, did you meet someone while you were in the woods?" Asks Lilia
"No, Dad! I was practicing."
"It could be a prophecy," said Malleus. "I want to know more about your dream. So you were just dancing? What did he look like?"
"I don't know. It was very blurry. I only know that I sang something... 'I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream.'
Malleus and Lilia looked at him.
"It's a lovely lyric." Say Lilia with a big smile.
The next day, he didn't dream the same thing and was awakened by his father's shout. When he went to see him, he was met with a surprise. There was Baur. He knew him because Lilia sometimes invited him over and told him stories about his fights.
"I think you already know Baur, but I don't think you've met his grandson. This is Sebek."
The boy came out from behind his grandfather, puffed out his chest, and shouted:
"Sebek Zigbolt at your service! I'm willing to be trained by you and become a guardian."
"He heard our stories... he wants to become a guardian too."
Silver saw him and approached him. He was much shorter than him.
"Hello, I'm Silver. I also want to be a guardian. Dad, are you going to train us? It'll be fun to have a friend."
Sebek stared at him.
"Sir Lilia already has a disciple? Who is he?"
"Oh, oh, don't call him sir! Call me Lilia"
"And I'm his son, my name is Silver."
"Remember when I told you about him?" Ask Baur
"Human, do you also want to be a knight?"
"I'm not human, I'm Silver. And I also want to be a knight and serve Malleus." He said, a little annoyed. Why was he being called human? He has a name.
"Lord Malleus?! Where is he?!"
Silver immediately covered his ears. It was too loud.
"I forgot to tell you that he adores him," Baur said as he sat down to have a drink. "Go and have some fun in the meantime."
...
Now things were different. He was at school, a first-year student with his dad and Malleus. However, something was missing, or rather, the company of someone loud. He wouldn't lie, he missed that shrill voice and how it used to tease him when he beat him.
He missed Sebek, even though he'd be starting his first year next year; he felt his absence. It was a tough adjustment, but he'd met several people. He still struggled to stay awake, something that had been with him since he was little. And he remembered how Sebek always woke him up. It was incredible that he woke up more to his partner's shouts than his own alarms. He smiled.
As they grew up, they supported each other, and even when they had fights, they always made up. He felt... a certain warmth in his chest. They had become very close when they trained together. It was the fun part of the day for Silver to see Sebek get angry and then forget about it and act like he didn't care. No matter what happened, he knew Sebek would be there for him, that he could count on him, but now, he wasn't.
When he went to sleep, he had that dream again, the one that had affected him so deeply as a child, just as before. He was surprised by how familiar the dream was, but he felt at ease. He was dancing with that stranger, but now he could notice something. He wasn't just taller than the stranger; the man was now taller and more muscular. He could also make out a green color in his eyes, but he couldn't see his pupils. And he felt very happy dancing and singing. This time, a new part had been added to the song:
"I know you. That look in your eyes is so familiar, a gleam."
When he wakes up, he goes and tells his dad about his dream.
"Hm? His eyes are green then! That's something! And taller..."
"I don't know who it could be. Maybe it's not the same person I dreamed about when I was little."
"Most importantly, doesn't anyone with those characteristics look familiar?" Asks Lilia.
Silver thought for a moment. Sebek had that eye color, and he had been thinking about him, but he doubted it was that stranger; otherwise, he would have recognized him, and another of his new classmates didn't have that eye color.
And Malleus cannot be . He thought about his father's classmates but couldn't come to any conclusions.
"I don't understand why this dream keeps repeating itself."
"Maybe something could happen, who knows?"
Silver didn't want to dwell on it, but he was curious.
When he looks at the window, it was raining, and suddenly a bolt of lightning appeared, illuminating the dream. He smiles.
"I never thought I'd say it, but I miss his shouts"
"Me too. School is so quiet without him. But he told me that He was training hard to get in next year. We'll see him again soon. Oh, and I'll make a welcome-home meal!"
"You want to give him a welcome, not make him not come back... "- Malleus whispered.
"Malleus, what do you think of my dream?"
"I could look for someone with that eye color."
Silver smiled at him and went back to his room.
...
He was in the middle of class when he woke up, wanting to hold someone's hand, and went to a chair in front of him. Kalim and Ruggie were startled and woke Silver, who just apologized.
Lately, he'd been dreaming about that person again, but this time he didn't want them to leave. He just stared at his hands, trying to feel that warmth again.
"Is something wrong?" Kalim asked
Silver hesitated, wondering whether to tell them or not, but he did.
"That sounds like a love story!"
"I'm hungry."
"Ruggie, this isn't the time! Don't you find it interesting to know who that stranger is?"
Ruggie looked at Silver.
"Why are you so interested?" Asks Ruggie.
"It's a dream that's been with me since I was little. I've never been able to see that person's face, but every time I dream about them, I feel very comfortable."
Kalim and Ruggie stared at him.
"Could it be your father? Or a relative? You're always with Malleus."
Silver shook his head and blushed.
"It's different. This person... well, I don't know how to explain it, but he makes me feel happy, and I don't want to stop dancing. But I can never see his face. I only know that being with him makes me feel... happy and safe."
"Wow, you fell in love with a stranger."
"Malleus says it could be someone I meet later."
Kalim kept looking at him.
"You said he has green eyes! That's a clue! But maybe, as the dreams go on, you'll see more of that person."
Besides, Silver had always been curious about that stranger, only now it became more intense because of the emotions each encounter stirred. It could be the same dance, but he felt like he never got tired, that he could keep dancing. It felt so peaceful and intimate. Also, he had started watching dramas with his dad, and the idea of having a partner came up, which made him feel lonely.
...
When Sebek returned, it was a disaster. He was excited to see him again, but when he saw him from afar, he fell silent. The makeup accentuated his green eyes, and he looked a little more muscular. Also, he was smiling, and his fangs gleamed. He couldn't explain why he felt that warmth again. When they met and Sebek challenged him to a fight in his own way, Silver felt like he was back home, forgetting for just a moment the stranger from his dreams.
Little by little, he began to develop feelings for him.
One day, they were training when it suddenly started to rain. They were both intensely focused on seeing who would win the fight, and Silver won, but when he offered Sebek a hand to help him up, he saw Sebek's hair was disheveled.
His curls were swaying, and he had a slight blush, along with the raindrops falling on his face. He couldn't help but think he looked quite attractive.
He was shocked, helped him up, and went to his room. He tried to calm himself, but as the days passed, every little detail made him fall more in love. Even the small gestures he made, even if he later yelled or got angry, always made him happy. And he couldn't deny that he was quite attractive. But what truly made him fall for him was during training when he was quite distressed. Sebek helped him, and when he saw his smile, he knew there was no turning back.
"Stop worrying and keep fighting with me."
That smile—why did it feel different? He had seen him smile before, but that smile—had he dreamed of someone like that? He stopped thinking and scolded Sebek for scaring a little bird.
But what about the man in my dreams? Silver paced around her room, lost in thought. He likes Sebek, but he also wanted to know who this person in his dreams was, and adding anything else to the dream wasn't helping matters. He repeated the dance and the song, though this time he could see a smile and understand what it made his feel. It was comforting.
It was strange; he'd just been thinking about Sebek's smile, but it couldn't be the one from the dream. If it were him, shouldn't the dream have revealed it by now? And no, he didn't dance either. He sighed. The dream always made him happy, and he longed so much to see that figure again. But every time he tried to approach, it vanished as he held his hand. And when he asked his name, he just smiled and turned away. That's when he noticed he had short hair, but he couldn't see what color it was. He grew more frustrated and, at the same time, struggled with his feelings for his friend. He'd already told Sebek about his dream, and he's seemed annoyed, though he agreed to help him in his search. Although, right now... he could say he was more in love with Sebek than with the stranger.
...
Now, they were in the woods after training, sitting under the shade of a tree, when he unconsciously began to sing the song of his dreams. Sebek listened with a look of astonishment.
"What's wrong?" Asks Silver
"Where did you learn that song?"
He was surprised to realize that he had been singing his song instead of humming it and a feeling of embarrassment washed over him. He had never sung the song to anyone before.
"It's the song that always appears in my dreams. I told you that, although I don't think I have told you about the lyrics...
Silver reflected. He had been a little embarrassed to sing the song to Sebek back then, so he omitted it and only said what he felt in the dream. So this was the first time Sebek had heard him sing. And, of all people, the one he was in love with.
They remained silent as they looked at the flowers until Sebek looked at him hesitantly and reached out, offering his hand. Silver stared at him but accepted. Then, still hesitant, his companion placed one hand on his waist and the other in his hand, and they began to dance.
"You were very stressed, is that dream what's stressing you out? You can sing."
Silver barely had time, and placed his hand on his shoulder and followed the movement. Neither of them knew how to dance well, but he felt calm, at peace.
"I dreamt about that stranger again."
Sebek just looked at him, but this time, unlike the other times, he didn't perceive sadness in his eyes, but a certain brightness.
"That dream is really bothering you."
"I know, but it's frustrating. Every time I want to get to know him, he slips away."- He sighed as they continued dancing. "His eyes... they're green, and he has short hair, plus he's taller than me and..."
Silver stopped. He was dancing, in the same forest from his dream. And the person beside him, despite his denials, was Sebek. It was just like in the dream, and so were his emotions; he felt so warm and happy. He also had a feeling of trust and security, knowing he could be in Sebek's arms and that he was loved, because he had seen him in his dreams. He had denied it, thinking it couldn't be him, but he was the only person he felt this way about. He always felt it, even though he thought it was impossible. Silver saw him and smiled. Sebek raised an eyebrow.
"What's wrong?"
"I think I've just found the man of my dreams: "But if I know you, I know what you'll do. You'll love me at once. The way you did once upon a dream."
Sebek opened his eyes, and before he could react, Silver kissed him on the cheek.
"I'm sorry, Sebek, you can stop if you want. It's just that... everything I felt in that dream, I felt with you, I'm feeling it right now. When we met, I felt the same warmth as in that dream, that warmth I feel every time I meet your gaze." Silver gently stroked his cheek and noticed how Sebek listened attentively with a look of hope and longing.
"Please, Silver, sing the whole song for me."
He felt so happy that he began to sing.
"And always, I felt loved in that dream, like in every little thing you do for me."
He saw tears welling up in Sebek's eyes, and he leaned down to kiss him.
"When you first started humming it... I was captivated. I felt peace and happiness. Then I saw myself humming it, and I felt like it belonged to us. I'm in love with you, Silver. And I felt that song belonged to us, and it seems I wasn't wrong. I feel so happy to be that "stranger." And I... I longed to be that stranger. Every day that passed I felt worse, thinking that one day you would find out his identity and I would have to let you go, but I always felt that dream was something of ours because the song you always sang made me feel accompanied and loved." Sebek said
Silver smiled and grabbed him to kiss him.
"Even as children, before we even met, it seems we were destined for each other."